Marketing With Integrity

Marketing with IntegrityPlaying games can be a​ lot of​ fun,​ but in​ business they can take an ugly turn when they turn into head games. How we play games,​ or​ play at​ games,​ often reflects our true nature as​ to​ how we do business. We always have a​ choice. We can make it​ a​ winlose or​ a​ winwin option. Playing head games in​ business involves lying,​ cheating,​ hidden agendas,​ oneupmanship,​ customer or​ employee exploitation,​ and the​ like. Often these behaviors find their essence in​ the​ need to​ be right,​ to​ be in​ control or​ to​ portray a​ particular image. On the​ other hand,​ playing games with integrity involves creating situations where both you​ and the​ customer wins. Everyone has their needs met and enjoys success. This involves cooperation,​ kindness,​ a​ service attitude and other supportive behaviors. There is​ a​ lot of​ truth to​ the​ phrase,​ its not whether you​ win or​ lose its how you​ play the​ game. How do you​ intend to​ play the​ game when it​ comes to​ marketing to​ and servicing your customers? Here are some suggestions for creating winwin games. 1. Keep it​ simple. Youll attract more prospects by making your marketing messages easy to​ understand. Today,​ more than ever,​ people are inundated with marketing and advertising messages. Theres so much coming at​ them that they end up acknowledging very little of​ it. it​ takes a​ lot of​ mental energy to​ put your attention on​ anything since that means taking it​ off something else. if​ your message is​ lengthy or​ hard to​ understand,​ a​ prospect wont get through the​ first couple of​ words,​ whether they are reading it​ or​ listening to​ it. Instead,​ use simple wording,​ create a​ simple process to​ follow no more than 3 steps,​ and by all means,​ make it​ easy for them to​ contact you​ by providing every conceivable piece of​ contact information possible. By keeping your communications clear,​ simple,​ and easy to​ understand,​ youll attract people to​ your business. 2. Make it​ winwin. Make sure everything you​ do provides a​ win for you​ and a​ win for the​ customer. Your wins might be a​ product or​ service,​ goodwill,​ referrals,​ or​ publicity. For the​ customer,​ their obvious win will be enjoying the​ product or​ service that you​ provide them. if​ you​ want to​ take your business to​ the​ next level,​ provide additional wins for your clients or​ customers. Give them special discounts for their longtime patronage. Offer them free samples or​ provide special reports or​ other information which they will find useful and which they will consider passing along to​ others. 3. Have fun. Marketing should be fun. Not only will it​ make running your business much more enjoyable,​ people who interact with your marketing messages will sense this playfulness and find it​ attractive. Our daily lives are often so serious and regimented. Lighten up your business by using techniques that are upbeat,​ playful,​ and that will put a​ smile on​ someones face. This is​ definitely one way of​ making yourself seen and heard among the​ thousands of​ marketing messages that inundate us daily. 4. Be true to​ yourself. Your marketing must resonate with who you​ are. it​ should be in​ synchronicity with your attitude,​ your beliefs and your standards for doing business. Just as​ there are rules for playing a​ game,​ there are certain rules by which you​ should conduct your business. These are personal and unique to​ you. Whatever they are,​ people will sense when you​ are in​ or​ out of​ integrity with who you​ say you​ are. Being true to​ yourself is​ all about being comfortable and secure in​ who you​ are and confident that whatever you​ produce by way of​ marketing is​ what is​ right for you​ at​ the​ time. Trust who you​ are and what you​ do and others will also. 5. Enjoy the​ creativity. We usually associate playing with taking a​ break from reality. Its a​ time to​ relax and to​ not have a​ care in​ the​ world. Often,​ it​ is​ during these times that we find ourselves being the​ most creative. Corporations or​ organizations that rely heavily on​ creativity advertising firms,​ public relations,​ consumer products often employ games to​ keep the​ creative juices of​ their employees flowing. if​ you​ approach doing business as​ a​ game,​ thinking about your marketing from a​ fun and playful perspective,​ youll find that your creativity level will automatically increase. 6. Create games that support your business. Did you​ know you​ could create games based on​ your business? Lets say youre a​ financial planner. you​ can create a​ simple game where folks earn points based on​ activities that promote saving money. you​ can give them a​ simple sheet of​ paper to​ track their progress. you​ can run the​ game for a​ particular time,​ then ask them to​ bring in​ their progress report game sheet to​ redeem it​ for a​ product an ebook,​ special report,​ or​ even a​ discount on​ their next hour of​ consultation. if​ you​ are a​ personal trainer,​ you​ might create a​ daily game where points are earned depending upon the​ client completing an exercise regimen. Depending upon the​ level of​ achievement,​ you​ can provide fun giveaways like a​ pedometer,​ healthy recipes,​ or​ some other healthrelated product. Most people love games because they are a​ welcomed distraction. Use these distractions to​ create more attraction to​ your business! 7. Play with others. Playing games with others is​ part of​ what makes them so much fun. Its a​ time to​ gather with friends or​ colleagues to​ just have a​ good time. We can do that in​ business as​ well. By creating alliances or​ partnerships with others,​ we can create situations from which everyone can benefit. Perhaps we can create a​ new product or​ program. Or,​ maybe we can colead a​ discussion group or​ lecture. Not only can we learn a​ lot by working with others,​ we can expand our business offerings,​ increase our network of​ prospects,​ and have fun all at​ the​ same time. 8. Play nice. Everything,​ including the​ games we play,​ goes a​ lot better when we play nice. the​ same thing applies to​ our business. We need to​ be aware of​ everyone who we impact our customers,​ our colleagues,​ and our vendors. We must be kind,​ courteous and respectful of​ everyone. What we give,​ we gain. 9. Play a​ better game. in​ business,​ we play a​ better game when we overdeliver to​ our customers or​ clients. Overdelivering is​ all about providing more than is​ expected. We might provide our client with 3 coaching sessions per month. We over deliver by giving them an extra halfhour every 3 months. or​ we may consider giving them a​ sample of​ a​ new product we have developed or​ a​ discount on​ a​ new program or​ course we have developed. it​ might be as​ simple as​ sending them a​ card thanking them for their business or​ sending a​ small book or​ other gift when the​ time or​ circumstance might call for it. How can you​ provide more than your customer or​ client would otherwise expect? Play a​ better game give more. 10. Play fair. By following the​ rules of​ the​ game,​ everyone feels like they are safe and that they can truly enjoy themselves. in​ business,​ a​ product or​ service guarantee can be considered a​ rule. While it​ is​ not mandatory that you​ provide one,​ prospects will feel more comfortable buying from you​ if​ they know that you​ will take care of​ them should they want a​ refund. Keeping our promises to​ our customers is​ also another type of​ rule. Following through on​ our promises to​ deliver products or​ services is​ one way to​ create loyalty,​ trust,​ and strong relationships with our customers.